PLUG

Abstract

Plug (11), comprising: a housing (13); and an insertion locking element (21) which is slidably mounted on an outer surface of the housing (13) to allow sliding movement, wherein the housing (13) has a locking section (55) which is elastically deformed in a direction opposite to a locking direction in order to slide over a locked section (33) of a counterpart housing (15), and which is elastically reset in the locking direction to be locked to the locked section (33) when the housing (13) moves in an insertion direction to the counterpart housing (15), wherein the insertion locking element (21) slides and moves relative to the housing (13) in the insertion direction from a temporary locking position to a formal locking position to be locked to the counterpart housing (15) when the locking section (55) is locked to the locked section (33),to achieve a plug insertion state, wherein the housing (13) has a release actuation section (59) which is to be separated outwards from an opposite insertion side of the housing (13), wherein the release actuation section (59) is pressed downwards in a release actuation direction towards the housing (13) to exert a release force on the locking section (55) in the opposite direction, wherein the release actuation section (59) is pressed downwards in the direction of the release operation when the insertion locking element (21) is positioned in the temporary locking position to release the fitting state of the plug (11), wherein the insertion locking element (21) has a pair of side walls (87) which are opposite each other on the outside of the housing (13) and a coupling section (81),the end sections of the pair of side walls (87) connect to each other on the opposite fitting side, the coupling section (81) is arranged between the release actuation section (59) and the housing (13) and is separated from the release actuation section (59) when the insertion locking element (21) is positioned in the temporary locking position, the coupling section (81) being configured to allow contact with the release actuation section (59) when the release actuation section (59) is pressed downwards and moved in the release actuation direction.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELDThe present invention relates to a plug.BACKGROUNDThere is a plug formed by mating a pair of housings together. When one of the housings is inserted to form the connector up to a mounting position where the one housing can be mounted to the other housing, the terminals accommodated in the respective housings are electrically connected to each other and the housings are locked to each other. However, since such fitting works are performed manually in this type of connectors, there is a risk that the fitting works are discontinued without observing a half-fitted (unlocked) state in which the one housing has not yet been inserted to the regular fitting position, so that the housing can be unlocked later.In order to solve this problem, a connector provided with a lock for securing the insertion position to prevent such half-fitting of a housing has been proposed (see PTL 1).The plug according to PTL 1 is provided with a cylindrical socket housing in which socket terminals are received, a cylindrical plug housing in which plug terminals are received and which is fitted to the socket housing, and a cylindrical insertion securing member slidably mounted on an outer side of the socket housing, a socket lock supported like a cantilever on the socket housing and extending toward the male plug housing, a anti-fogging lock supported like a cantilever on the anti-fogging member and extending toward the male plug housing, and a locking protrusion protruding from an outer surface of the male plug housing to lock the socket lock and the anti-fogging lock to each other.When the male connector housing is inserted into the female housing on which the insertion securing member is mounted in such a configuration, first, a locking part of the female lock climbs over the locking protrusion to be locked with the locking protrusion. Successively, a locking claw of the fitting lock is climbing over the locking protrusion and the locking part of the female lock to be locked to the locking protrusion by the locking part of the female lock. Thus, the fitting lock is locked to the locking protrusion by the bush lock, so that the insertion between the housings is ensured.In addition, an unlocking portion for unlocking the socket lock according to PTL 1 is provided in the socket housing. The unlocking portion is disposed on a side opposite to the plug in the insertion direction (a rear side in the insertion direction) and is separated outward from the socket housing. When the insertion securing member is pulled in a direction (opposite to the insertion direction) to be separated from the male connector housing in a state where the insertion securing member has been locked to the locking protrusion by the female lock (a state where the insertion securing member has been brought into a formal locking position), the locking claw of the fitting lock climbs over the locking portion of the female lock to ride on the locking protrusion (the insertion securing member moves from the formal locking position to a temporary locking position). When the unlocking portion is pushed down toward the female housing and the insertion securing member is pulled in the opposite direction to the insertion direction, the locking portion of the female lock rides on the locking protrusion, and the locking claw of the fitting securing lock and the locking portion of the female lock climb over the locking protrusion one by one. As a result, the female housing is removed from the male connector housing.Citation ListPATENT LITERATUREPTL 1: JP 2012-64461 AFrom DE 11 2011 103 111 T5 a plug is known, comprising a housing, an insertion securing element which is mounted in a sliding manner on an outer side of the housing in order to enable a sliding movement, wherein the housing has a locking portion which is elastically deformed in a direction opposite to a locking direction in order to slide over a locked portion of a counterpart housing and which is elastically reset in the locking direction in order to be locked on the locked portion on a movement of the housing in an insertion direction to the counterpart housing, wherein the insertion securing element slides and moves relative to the housing in the insertion direction from a temporary locking position to a formal locking position in order to be locked on the counterpart housing when the locking portion is locked on the locked portion in order to achieve a plug insertion state.U.S. Pat. No. 2017 / 0 170 602 A1 discloses a plug which functions similarly to the plug from DE 11 2011 103 111 T5.US 2016 / 0 164 224 A1 discloses a plug with a locking arm protected by two side walls protruding from the housing, and a coupling section connecting the latter as a stop for limiting actuation of the locking arm for unlocking.DE 10 2004 002 392 A1 discloses a connector whose locking arm is pressed downward for unlocking, limited by a stop.SUMMARY OF THE INVENTIONPROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTIONIn the connector according to PTL 1, an excessive displacement prevention part abutting on the unlocking portion may be provided in the female connector to regulate a maximum displacement of the unlocking portion. In addition, a pair of side walls of the insertion securing member opposing to each other on the outside of the housing may be connected to each other by a coupling member to secure the rigidity of the insertion securing member.Thus, when the excessive displacement preventing portion is provided in the female housing and the coupling portion is provided in the insertion securing member, the coupling portion needs to be disposed on an outer side of the excessive displacement preventing portion in order to prevent the excessive displacement preventing portion and the coupling portion from interfering with each other in a plug using a state in which the insertion securing member has been set in the formal locking position. This results in enlargement of the terminal.An object of this invention is to provide a connector in which excessive displacement of an unlocking portion can be prevented, rigidity of an insertion securing member can be secured, and enlargement of the connector in a connector use state can be suppressed.MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEM[1] According to a first aspect of the present invention, a plug comprises:a housing; andan insert securing member slidably mounted on an outer side of the housing to allow sliding movement,wherein the housing has a locking portion which is elastically deformed in a direction opposite to a locking direction to slide over a locked portion of a counterpart housing and which is elastically restored in the locking direction to be locked at the locked portion upon movement of the housing in an insertion direction to the counterpart housing,wherein the insertion securing member slides and moves relative to the housing in the insertion direction from a temporary locking position to a formal locking position to be locked to the counterpart housing when the locking portion is locked to the locked portion to achieve a plug insertion state,wherein the housing has an unlocking operation portion to be separated outward from an opposite insertion side of the housing, the unlocking operation portion being pressed downward toward the housing in an unlocking operation direction to apply an unlocking force to the locking portion in the opposite direction,wherein the unlocking operation portion is pressed downward in the direction of the unlocking operation when the insertion securing member is positioned at the temporary locking position to release the fitting state of the plug,wherein the insertion securing member has a pair of side walls opposing each other on the outside of the housing and a coupling portion connecting end portions of the pair of side walls on the opposite fitting side to each other,wherein the coupling part of the insertion securing member, which is in the temporary locking position, is disposed between the unlocking operating part and the housing and is separated from the unlocking operating part.In the above-mentioned first aspect, the rigidity of the insertion securing member can be secured by the coupling part that connects the end portions of the pair of side walls on the opposite side to the fitting side (the opposite side in the insertion direction) to each other. In addition, the coupling part of the insertion securing member, which is in the temporary locking position, can be brought to a position abutting the unlocking operation part within a range in which the displacement of the unlocking operation part toward the unlocking operation cannot be excessively large, so that the excessive displacement of the unlocking operation part by the coupling part can be prevented. Further, in a state where a plug is used, the insertion securing member is set in the formal locking position to which the insertion securing member has moved from the temporary locking position in the insertion direction. Accordingly, a part or the entire coupling portion can be disposed closer to the fitting side than a distal end of the unlocking operation portion on a side opposite to the fitting side, so that an increase in the overall size of the plug in the state in which the plug is used can be suppressed.Accordingly, the excessive displacement of the unlocking portion can be prevented, the rigidity of the insertion securing member can be secured, and the enlargement of the plug in the plug can be suppressed in the state in which the insertion securing member has been placed in the formal locking position.[2] According to a second aspect of the present invention, the connector according to the first aspect is arranged such that:the coupling portion of the insertion securing member, which is in the temporary locking position, comes into contact with the housing to restrict inclination of the housing with respect to the insertion securing member.In the above-mentioned second aspect, in the plug use state in which the insertion securing member is placed in the formal locking position, the inclination of the housing with respect to the insertion securing member is limited by the coupling part. Accordingly, a connection state between the terminals received in the housing and the terminals received in the counterpart housing can be stabilized.ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF THE INVENTIONAccording to the present invention, it is possible to prevent the excessive displacement of the unlocking portion, secure the rigidity of the insertion securing member, and suppress the enlargement of the plug in the state of use.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS[FIG. 1 ] FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector according to an embodiment of the present invention.[FIG. 2 ] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the external appearance of a female unit. FIG. 3] FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the external appearance of a CPA end lock state.[FIG. 4] FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section before the fitting of the connector.[FIG. 5 ] FIG. 5 is a longitudinal section through half of the connector.[FIG. 6 ] FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section through half of the connector. FIG. 7] FIG. 7 is a longitudinal section of a plug insertion state.[FIG. 8 ] FIG. 8 is a longitudinal section of the CPA end lock state.[FIG. 9 ] FIG. 9 is a longitudinal section during the release of the plug (CPA end lock).[FIG. 10 ] FIG. 10 is a longitudinal section during release of the connector (CPA temporary lock).[FIG. 11 ] FIG. 11 is a longitudinal section during release of the connector (CPA temporary lock).[FIG. 12 ] FIG. 12 is a longitudinal section after the male terminal (CPA temporary lock) is released.[FIG. 13 ] FIG. 13( a) is an enlarged view of a part A of FIG. 11, and FIG. 13( b) is an enlarged view of a part B of FIG. 11.[FIG. 14 ] FIG. 14 is an enlarged view showing a state in which excessive displacement of a mating trigger member is prevented by a CPA bridge.[FIG. 15] FIG. 15 is an enlarged view of a side lock.[FIG. 16] FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view before the connector is assembled.[FIG. 17] FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of the final lock state of the CPA.[FIG. 18] FIG. 18( a) is an enlarged view of a part A of FIG. 16, and FIG. 18( b) is an enlarged view of a part B of FIG. 17.[FIG. 19] FIG. 19 is a perspective view of an inner housing front portion.[FIG. 20 ] FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a side holder.[FIG. 21 ] FIG. 21 are longitudinal sections of the inner case front portion and the side bracket, FIG. 21( a) shows a formal locking position, FIG. 21( b) shows a temporary locking position.[FIG. 22] FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a state before the side bracket is moved by a device.[FIG. 23] FIG. 23 is a perspective view when the side bracket is moved by the apparatus.[FIG. 24] FIG. 24 is a longitudinal section of the side bracket being moved.DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTSHereinafter, an embodiment of a plug for carrying out the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of a connector 11 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the external appearance of a socket unit 12 in which a CPA 21, a sealing member 23, and a side bracket 25 have been mounted on a socket housing 13. FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the external appearance of a plug inserted state. FIGS. 4 to 8 are longitudinal sections showing the movement between the mounting of the plug and the final CPA lock. Incidentally, a mounting direction to a counterpart connector will be described below as being forward (forward in the mounting direction); a separating direction from the counterpart connector to the rear (rearward in the mounting direction); one side (upper side in FIG. 4 ) in a connector height direction (height direction) that substantially orthogonally intersects the insertion direction upward; the other side (lower side in FIG. 4 ) in the connector height direction downward; and a connector width direction (width direction) that substantially orthogonally intersects the insertion direction and the connector height direction left / right.(Schematic Configuration of Plug 11)As illustrated in FIG. 1, the plug 11 is configured to include the cylindrical socket housing (housing) 13, a cylindrical male plug housing (counterpart housing) 15, socket terminals 17, plug terminals 19, the cylindrical CPA (insertion securing member) 21, the annular sealing member 23, and the side bracket 25. The female terminals 17 are received in the female housing 13. The male terminals 19 are accommodated in the male connector housing 15. The cylindrical CPA 21 is slidably mounted on an outer surface of the female housing 13 in the insertion direction. The annular sealing member 23 is mounted on the female housing 13. The side bracket 25 is mounted to the female housing 13. The female housing 13, the CPA 21, the sealing member 23, and the side bracket 25 constitute the female unit 12. The two female terminals 17 are accommodated in the female housing 13 and the two male terminals 19 are accommodated in the male connector housing 15. Incidentally, the housing and the counterpart housing may be used as the male connector housing and the female housing in the reverse direction to the present embodiment.(Male Connector Housing 15)The male connector housing 15 made of synthetic resin is directly connected to, for example, an instrument panel of an electric instrument, not shown, mounted on a vehicle, etc. As shown in FIG. 1, the male connector housing 15 has a proximal end portion 27 corresponding to the instrument panel and a circular cylindrical hood portion 29 extending from the proximal end portion 27 in the direction of insertion. As shown in FIG. 4, a bottomed space 31 having an inner circumferential surface axially continuous with an inner circumferential surface of the hood portion 29 is formed in the proximal end portion 27. The male terminals 19 shaped like tabs and protruding in the insertion direction are fixed to a deep side of the space 31.An upper locking protrusion (locked portion) 33 is projectingly provided on the upper side of an outer periphery of the hood portion 29. As shown in FIG. 4, the upper locking protrusion 33 has an upper inclined surface 35, an upper flat surface 37, and an upper locking surface 39. the upper inclined surface 35 has a rearward increasing protrusion. The upper flat surface 37 is connected to an upper end (rear end) of the upper inclined surface 35 and extends along the front / rear direction. The upper locking surface 39 is connected to a rear end of the upper flat surface 37 and rises substantially perpendicularly thereto. The upper flat surface 37 has a width direction length that is longer and a front / rear direction length that is shorter than the upper inclined surface 35. Similarly, a lower locking protrusion 34 is protrudingly provided on a lower side of the outer periphery of the hood portion 29. The lower locking protrusion 34 has a lower inclined surface (another inclined surface) 36 and a lower flat surface 38. The lower flat surface 38 is connected to a lower end (rear end) of the lower inclined surface 36 and extends along the front / rear direction. The lower flat surface 38 has a width direction length that is longer and a front / rear direction length that is shorter than the lower inclined surface 36. The upper locking protrusion 33 and the lower locking protrusion 34 are formed to be substantially vertically symmetrical to each other. The upper inclined surface 35 and the lower inclined surface 36 are disposed in substantially the same range in the insertion direction. The upper flat surface 37 and the lower flat surface 38 are arranged in substantially the same area in the insertion direction.(Female Housing 13)As illustrated in FIG. 4, the female housing 13 made of a synthetic resin is formed to include a cylindrical inner housing 41 and a cylindrical outer housing 43. The outer case 43 is attached so as to surround an outer circumferential surface of the inner case 41 with a distance from the outer circumferential surface. The hood portion 29 of the male connector housing 15 is inserted into the gap between the outer circumferential surface of the inner housing 41 and an inner circumferential surface of the outer housing 43.In the inner housing 41, two female terminal accommodation chambers 45 are formed into which the female terminals 17 are inserted from the rear side. The female terminal accommodation chambers 45 are opened to the outside through insertion holes 47 (see FIG. 1 ) formed in a distal end portion of the inner housing 41, and the tab-shaped male terminals 19 are inserted into the female terminal accommodation chambers 45 from the insertion holes 47.The inner housing 41 is formed to overhang forward from a front end surface of the outer housing 43. The sealing member 23 is mounted on the circular cylindrical outer circumferential surface of the inner housing 41 surrounded by the outer housing 43. The side bracket 25 is mounted on an outer circumferential surface of a rectangular cylindrical inner case front portion 44 that protrudes forward from the outer case 43.An elastically deformable housing arm 51 is formed on an outer circumferential surface of the female housing 13. The housing arm 51 is shaped in the form of a gate. The housing arm 51 has a pair of left and right elastic arm portions 53 and a locking portion 55. Each of the elastic arm portions 53 is supported like a cantilever on the outer circumferential surface of the female housing 13 (the inner housing 41). The elastic arm portions 53 extend toward the male connector housing 15 and substantially parallel to the outer circumferential surface of the inner housing 41. the lock portion 55 bridges over the front end portions of the elastic arm portions 53 in the width direction. The locking member 55 is locked to the upper locking protrusion 33 of the male connector housing 15 when the two housings 13 and 15 are fastened together.When a rear end portion of the housing arm 51 is used as a fulcrum, the locking part 55 of the housing arm 51 can pivot upward (outward) and be elastically deformed (deflected). In the housing arm 51, a flap-shaped lock arm 57 is continuously provided so as to extend rearward and supported like a cantilever by the front end portions of the paired elastic arm portions 53. The lock arm 57 has an unlocking portion 59 that is pressed downward in the unlocking direction toward the female housing 13 (the inner housing 41) when the locking state of the housing arm 51 is released. The release portion 59 is separated outward (upward) from a rear part (opposite to the insertion side) of the female housing 13 (the inner housing 41), and is disposed at a position higher than the elastic arm parts 53. When the unlocking portion 59 is pressed downward in the unlocking direction, this causes an upward unlocking force (opposite to the locking direction) to be applied to the locking part 55 via the locking arm 57.The female housing 13 has a female housing bridge 61, and the female housing bridge 61 rises from the opposite, left and right ends of an upper part of the front end of the outer housing 43, crosses over the upper part in the width direction, and covers the locking part 55 from the outside (upper side). The female housing bridge 61 is disposed at a position where the female housing bridge 61 allows elastic deformation of the locking part 55 caused by the upper oblique surface 35 of the male connector housing 15, outside (top side), and near the movable range of the locking part 55.As shown in FIGS. 1 and 15, the female housing 13 has a pair of left and right side locks 65, and the left and right side locks 65 are formed as part of respective left and right side walls of the outer housing 43 notched by a pair of upper and lower slots 63. The side lock 65 is supported like a cantilever by the outer case 43 so that a front end of the side lock 65 continues to the corresponding side wall of the outer case 43 while a rear end of the side lock 65 is a free end. Each side lock 65 is positioned at a front end portion of one of the two guide grooves 67. The guide grooves 67 extend in the front / rear direction on the left and right sides of the outer case 43. the upper and lower slits 63 extend forward from the guide groove 67.(Side Bracket 25)The side bracket 25 is made of a synthetic resin. As illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 20, the side bracket 25 has a holder body 105 and a holder front plate portion 107. The holding body 105 has a U-shaped cross section opened on one side in the width direction (side). The holder front plate portion 107 covers a front end of the holder body. Two insertion holes 109 are formed in the holder front plate portion 107. In a state where the side bracket 25 has been placed in a formal locking position, which will be described later, the insertion holes 109 are in contact with the insertion holes 47 of the inner housing 41 so that the male terminals 19 can be inserted from the insertion holes 47 and 109.The support body 105 is provided with an upper part of the bracket 111, a lower part of the bracket 113, and a curved part of the bracket 115. The upper part of the bracket 111 and the lower part of the bracket 113 are opposed to each other and vertically separated from each other. An edge of the upper part of the bracket 111 and an edge of the lower part of the bracket 113 are connected to each other by the curved part of the bracket 115. At an opening side edge of the upper part of the holder 111, a holding protrusion 117 linearly extending in the insertion direction is provided, which protrudes downward. A notch 139 is formed in a rear end portion of the holding protrusion 117. A jig 149 (see FIG. 22 ) used for moving the side bracket 25 from the formal locking position, which will be described later, to a temporary locking position is inserted into the notch 139.As shown in FIG. 19, on an upper surface of the inner case front portion 44, a locking groove group 125 having an end locking groove 121 and a temporary locking groove 123 is provided, which are arranged side by side with a partition wall 119 interposed therebetween. The partition wall 119, the end locking groove 121, and the temporary locking groove 123 linearly extend along the insertion direction. The end locking groove 121 is divided between the upper end portion 127 of the side wall of the inner case front portion 44 and the partition wall 119. The upper end portion 127 of the side wall protrudes from the upper surface of the inner case front portion 44. The temporary locking groove 123 is partitioned between a groove forming protrusion 129 and the partition wall 119. The groove formation protrusion 129 protrudes from the upper surface of the inner case front portion 44.When the side bracket 25 is mounted on the inner case front portion 44, the opening on one side of the side bracket 25 is slightly widened, so that the inner case front portion 44 can be inserted into the side bracket 25 from the opening and slid in the width direction (mounting direction). When the lateral holder 25 is moved in the mounting direction, the holding protrusion 117 enters the groove 123 to be locked there (temporary locking position) as shown in FIG. 21( b). When the side bracket 25 is further moved in the mounting direction, the holding protrusion 117 enters the end locking groove 121 to be locked there (formal locking position) as shown in FIG. 21( a).A side surface of the groove formation protrusion 129 outside the groove is a first inclined surface 131 that is smooth. When the side bracket 25 is slid in the mounting direction, the holding protrusion 117 slides on the first inclined surface 131 comparatively easily, so that the side bracket 25 can climb over the groove forming protrusion 129 when bent. As a result, the side bracket 25 is mounted in the temporary locking position. A side surface of the partition wall 119 on the temporary lock groove 123 side is a second inclined surface 133 that is slightly steeper than the first inclined surface 131. By pressing the side bracket 25 more strongly than when the side bracket 25 is mounted in the temporary locking position, the holding protrusion 117 slides on the second inclined surface 133 so that the side bracket 25 can climb over the partition wall 119 when bent. As a result, the side bracket 25 moves from the temporary locking position to the formal locking position.On the other hand, a side surface of the groove formation protrusion 129 on the temporary locking groove 123 side and a side surface of the partition wall 119 on the final locking groove 121 side are vertical surfaces 135 and 137. Due to the vertical surfaces 135 and 137, the movement of the side bracket 25 from the formal locking position to the temporary locking position or the removal of the side bracket 25 from the temporary locking position cannot be easily performed when the side bracket 25 is simply pulled in a removal direction (opposite to the mounting direction).The partition wall 119 is shorter than the holding protrusion 117. At an end face of the locking groove group 125, the partition wall 119 is partially missing, so that the end locking groove 121 and the temporary locking groove 123 are in contact with each other at the same groove depth. Incidentally, the partition wall 119 at the front end side of the lock groove group 125 may be formed lower than all other areas (a center part and a rear end portion).The side bracket 25 set in the temporary locking position allows the insertion of the female terminals 17 into the accommodation chambers 45 and locks the inserted female terminals 17 to prevent removal of the female terminals 17. On the other hand, the side bracket 25 set at the formal locking position prevents the female terminals 17 from being both inserted into the female terminal accommodation chambers 45 and removed from the female terminal accommodation chambers 45.(CPA 21)The CPA 21 is made of a synthetic resin. The CPA 21 is placed on the socket housing 13 from behind so that it can be mounted on the socket housing 13 so as to be displaceable in the mounting direction. In the CPA 21, a pair of left and right side walls 87 and a support wall 89 are formed. The left and right side walls 87 rising at a distance in the width direction are opposed to each other outside the female housing 13. The support wall 89 bridges the upper end portions of the side walls 87. a CPA upper arm 91 is formed in a central portion of the support wall 89. The CPA upper arm 91 extends toward the male connector housing 15, and a pair of left and right rib portions 79 guided by the left and right guide grooves 67 of the female housing 13 are protrudingly provided on the inner sides of the rear portions of the left and right side walls 87 (see FIG. 16 ). The rear ends of the left and right side walls 87 are coupled by a flat plate-shaped CPA bridge (coupling part) 81 serving to secure the rigidity of the CPA 21.As illustrated in FIG. 16, in each of the rib portions 79, an inward-protruding separation preventing protrusion 141 is provided. In a front part of the separation preventing protrusion 141, an outward and forward inclined guide surface 143 is formed. At a rear end of the inner case 41, two outwardly projecting left and right stopper projections 145 are formed.The CPA upper arm 91 is supported like a cantilever arm on the supporting wall 89. The CPA upper arm 91 is provided to be inclined downward and toward the hood portion 29 of the male connector housing 15. In a distal end portion of the CPA upper arm 91, a downward-extending upper locking claw 93 is formed. An inclined surface 95 is formed in an end surface of a lower part of the upper locking claw 93. While a rear end portion of the CPA upper arm 91 is used as a fulcrum, the upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 can swing upward (outward) to be elastically deformed (deflected). In the present embodiment, when the CPA 21 is mounted on the female housing 13, the upper locking claw 93 (the inclined surface 95) of the CPA upper arm 91 climbs over the unlocking portion 59 of the locking arm 57 and abuts against a rear end portion of the locking part 55 of the housing arm 51, and when the two housings 13 and 15 are mounted to each other, the upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 presses the rear end portion of the locking part 55 in the mounting direction (forward).The CPA 21 has a CPA forearm 99 that is supported like a cantilever at a position opposite to the CPA upper arm 91 (a position separated by about 180°) and extends toward the male connector housing 15. A lower locking claw 101 extending inward from the CPA 21 is formed in a distal end portion of the CPA forearm 99. An inclined surface 103 is formed in a front surface of an upper portion of the lower locking claw 101. While a rear end portion of the CPA forearm 99 is used as a fulcrum, the lower locking claw 101 of the CPA forearm 99 may pivot downward (outward) to deform (deflect) similarly or as elastically as the CPA upper arm 91.(Insertion Procedure of Plug 11)Next, although a fitting procedure of the plug 11 according to the present embodiment will be described, the remaining configuration of the above-mentioned plug 11 will be described. The movement of the plug 11 when the receptacle housing 13 has been brought close to the male plug housing 15 directly connected to the equipment wall of the electric equipment will be described below by way of example.First, the sealing member 23 is mounted to the female housing 13, and the side bracket 25 is mounted to the temporary locking position of the inner housing front portion 44 protruding from the outer housing 43. Successively, the female terminals 17 to which the electric wires 18 have been connected from behind are inserted into the female terminal accommodating chambers 45 of the female housing 13, and the side bracket 25 is slid to the formal locking position (regular position). Thus, the female terminals 17 are locked to the side bracket 25 so as to prevent dropping.Next, the CPA 21 is mounted on the female housing 13 from the back side. On this occasion, the pair of rib portions 79 of the CPA 21 are guided by the guide grooves 67. When the stopper protrusions 145 climb over the guide surfaces 143 to reach the temporary locking position (CPA temporary locking position) at the rear side of the separation preventing protrusions 141, the CPA 21 is locked to the female housing 13 (CPA temporary locking), thereby preventing dropping. In addition, the CPA upper arm 91 climbs over the unlocking portion 59 of the female housing 13 to move inward from the housing arm 51 and abut on the rear end face of the locking part 55. Since the CPA upper arm 91 abuts the locking part 55, the CPA 21 can press the male connector housing 15 in the insertion direction. Accordingly, the positional accuracy between the CPA 21 and the female housing 13 during insertion can be improved, so that the workability of assembly can be improved.When the CPA 21 is moved forward relative to the female housing 13, the CPA upper arm 91 abuts against the locking part 55. Thus, the female housing 13 advances together with the CPA 21. On the contrary, when the CPA 21 is slid rearward relative to the female housing 13, the stopper protrusions 145 are locked to the separation preventing protrusions 141. Thus, the female housing 13 moves rearward together with the CPA 21.When the female housing 13 is aligned with the male housing 15 in the CPA temporary lock state and the CPA 21 is pushed in the insertion direction (forward), the inner housing 41 of the female housing 13 is inserted into the hood portion 29 of the male housing 15 so that the distal end portions of the male terminals 19 are inserted into the insertion holes 47. At this stage, both the housing arm 51 and the CPA upper arm 91 are separated from the upper locking protrusion 33, and bending does not take place. Moreover, the CPA forearm 99 is also separated from the lower locking protrusion 34, and flexing does not occur.When the CPA 21 is further pushed in the insertion direction, the locking part 55 of the housing arm 51 reaches the upper inclined surface 35 of the upper locking protrusion 33 to ride thereon, and then starts to slide on the upper inclined surface 35 with elastic deformation upward (opposite to the locking direction), as illustrated in FIG. 4. The lock part 55 of the housing arm 51 is pressed against the upper inclined surface 35 to be elastically deformed upward. Thus, the restoring force of the housing arm 51 acts on the upper inclined surface 35 so that the male connector housing 15 is urged by the female housing 13 in a direction opposite to the insertion direction, and the female housing 13 receives a reaction from the male connector housing 15. When a hand holding the CPA 21 is released, the female housing 13 is pushed back together with the CPA 21 opposite to the insertion direction. Incidentally, in the state of FIG. 4, the CPA forearm 99 is separated from the lower locking protrusion 34, and no deflection occurs.When the CPA 21 is further pushed in the insertion direction from the state of FIG. 4, the upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 reaches the upper inclined surface 35 of the upper locking protrusion 33 to ride thereon, and then starts to slide on the upper inclined surface 35, as illustrated in FIG. 5. The upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 is pressed against the upper inclined surface 35 to elastically deform upward. Thus, the restoring force of the CPA upper arm 91 acts on the upper inclined surface 35, the male connector housing 15 is pressed by the CPA 21 in the direction opposite to the fitting direction, and the CPA 21 receives a reaction of the male connector housing 15. Moreover, at a time when the upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 has started to slide on the upper inclined surface 35 of the upper locking protrusion 33, the locking part 55 of the housing arm 51 also slides on the upper inclined surface 35, so that the female housing 13 also receives a reaction from the upper inclined surface 35 due to the elastic deformation of the locking part 55. In addition, the lower locking claw 101 of the CPA forearm 99 starts to slide on the lower inclined surface 36 of the lower locking protrusion 34 at substantially the same time as when the upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 starts to slide on the upper inclined surface 35. The lower locking claw 101 of the CPA forearm 99 is pressed against the lower inclined surface 36 so as to be elastically deformed downward. Thus, the restoring force of the CPA forearm 99 acts on the lower inclined surface 36, the male connector housing 15 is urged by the CPA 21 in the opposite direction to the insertion direction, and the CPA 21 receives the reaction of the male connector housing 15.When the CPA 21 is further pushed in the insertion direction from the state of FIG. 5, the locking part 55 of the housing arm 51 climbs over the upper inclined surface 35 to reach the upper flat surface 37 as illustrated in FIG. 6. Thus, the restoring force of the housing arm 51 ceases to act on the upper inclined surface 35 so that the housing arm 51 can no longer push back the male connector housing 15.In this regard, in the present embodiment, the upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 is set to be still positioned on the upper inclined surface 35 at a time when the locking part 55 has slid on the upper flat surface 37. Accordingly, the CPA 21 receives a reaction of the upper inclined surface 35 due to the elastic deformation of the upper locking claw 93 Similarly, the lower locking claw 101 of the CPA forearm 99 is also set to be still positioned on the lower inclined surface 36 at a time when the locking part 55 has slid on the upper flat surface 37. Accordingly, the CPA 21 also receives a reaction from the lower inclined surface 36 due to the elastic deformation of the lower locking claw 101.When the CPA 21 is further pushed in the insertion direction from the state of FIG. 6, the upper locking claw 93 continuously slides on the upper inclined surface 35 and the lower locking claw 101 continuously slides on the lower inclined surface 36 while the locking part 55 moves on the upper flat side 37.Once the locking part 55 passes through the upper flat surface 37, the locking part 55 is elastically restored downward (in the locking direction) to be locked to the upper locking surface 39 of the upper locking protrusion 33, so that the two housings 13 and 15 are brought into a locking state with each other (a plug mounting state) as illustrated in FIG. 7. At a time when the assembly is completed, the upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 is still positioned on the upper inclined surface 35, and the lower locking claw 101 of the CPA lower arm 99 is also positioned on the lower inclined surface 36. Accordingly, the CPA 21 continues to receive the reaction of the upper inclined surface 35 due to the elastic deformation of the upper locking claw 93 and the reaction of the lower inclined surface 36 due to the elastic deformation of the lower locking claw 101.The upper locking claw 93 passes through the upper flat surface 37 in sequence and climbs over the locking member 55 that has been locked to the upper locking protrusion 33. Then, the upper locking claw 93 is elastically restored to be locked to the upper locking surface 39 in a posture in which the locking part 55 is held between the upper locking claw 93 and the upper locking protrusion 33 (CPA end locking), as illustrated in FIG. 8. Since the two housings 13 and 15 are always brought into the locking state in a state in which the CPA upper arm 91 is locked to the upper locking protrusion 33 (a state in which the CPA 21 is set to the formal locking position CPA), the insertion between the two housings 13 and 15 is ensured by the mounting of the CPA upper arm 91 (the CPA final locking). In addition, since the locking member 55 is held between the upper locking protrusion 33 and the upper locking claw 93, the female housing 13 can be secured against disengagement. Incidentally, after the lower locking claw 101 passes through the lower flat surface 38, the lower locking claw 101 is elastically restored to be locked with the lower locking protrusion 34 at substantially the same time as when the upper locking claw 93 is locked.Thus, in the present embodiment, the upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 starts to slide on the upper inclined surface 35 before the female housing 13 and the male connector housing 15 are fastened to each other. The upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 is positioned on the upper inclined surface 35 until the female housing 13 and the male connector housing 15 are fastened together. The upper locking claw 93 on the upper inclined surface 35 receives a reaction force from the upper inclined surface 35, and a component of the reaction force acts on the CPA 21 as a repulsive force against the plug fitting. Accordingly, the repulsive force generated by the upper locking claw 93 (the CPA upper arm 91) can act until immediately before the assembly, so that half-fitting can be prevented.In addition, the locking part 55 receives the reaction force from the upper inclined surface 35 at the upper inclined surface 35, and a component of the reaction force acts on the female housing 13 as a repulsive force against the male terminal. Accordingly, from a whole range of an insertion stroke between the start of the sliding of the locking part 55 on the upper inclined surface 35 and the locking of the locking part 55 with the upper locking protrusion 33 in a first half until the start of the sliding of the upper locking claw 93 on the upper inclined surface 35, the repulsive force caused by the locking part 55 acts. In a second half of the insertion stroke between the start of the sliding of the upper locking part 93 on the upper inclined surface 35 and the seating of the locking part 55 on the upper flat surface (upper surface) 37 of the upper locking protrusion 33, the repulsive force caused by the locking part 55 and the repulsive force caused by the upper locking claw 93 act. Immediately before the assembly until the locking member 55 is locked to the upper locking protrusion 33 after being fitted on the upper flat surface 37 of the upper locking protrusion 33, the repulsive force caused by the upper locking claw 93 acts. That is, the repulsive forces can become effective over the entire range of the insertion stroke.In addition, the repulsive force generated by the locking member 55, the repulsive force generated by the upper locking claw 93, and the repulsive force generated by the lower locking claw 101 act while the lower locking claw 101 is positioned on the lower inclined surface 36 in the second half of the insertion stroke. The repulsive force of the upper locking claw 93 and the repulsive force of the lower locking claw 101 act immediately before assembly. Accordingly, the repulsive forces against the insertion can be enhanced.In addition, a locking part in which the locking part 55 and the upper locking claw 93 are locked to the upper locking protrusion 33 is covered with the female housing bridge 61 from the outside. Accordingly, it is possible to prevent the plug from being accidentally released by applying an external force to the locking part. In addition, the female housing bridge 61 is disposed outside and near the movable portion of the lock part 55. Accordingly, excessive displacement of the lock part 55 (excessive deformation of the housing arm 51) by the housing bridge 61 can be suppressed, so that damage to the housing 13 can be prevented.(Procedure for Releasing Insertion of Plug 11)Next, a cartridge releasing procedure for the plug 11 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 13.In the CPA end locking state, the upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 is locked to the upper locking protrusion 33 of the male connector housing 15 by the locking part 55 of the housing arm 51, as illustrated in FIG. 9. To release the insertion into the plug 11, the CPA 21 is first moved from the formal locking position to the temporary locking position. To bring the CPA 21 from the formal locking position to the temporary locking position, the CPA 21 is pulled rearward (opposite to the insertion direction) while the unlocking portion 59 is pressed downward in the unlocking direction. By depressing the unlocking portion 59, the release assist force acts upward (opposite to the locking direction) from a front end portion of the locking arm 57 (the locking part 55 of the housing arm 51) on the CPA upper arm 91. By the trigger assist force, the pulling force applied to the CPA 21, and the corresponding inclined surfaces of the locking part 55 and the upper locking claw 93, the upper locking claw 93 climbs over the locking part 55 to ride on the upper locking protrusion 33, and thus the CPA 21 reaches the temporary locking position of the CPA as illustrated in FIG. 10.Successively, the plug-in state is released. To release the plug insertion state, the CPA 21 is pulled further rearward while the unlocking portion 59 is pressed downward in the unlocking direction. By depressing the unlocking portion 59, the unlocking force acting upward (opposite to the locking direction) is applied to the locking member 55. As illustrated in FIGS. 11 and 13( a), the locking part 55 slides on the upper locking protrusion 33 (plug connection release) by the unlocking force and the pulling force applied to the CPA 21. The upper locking claw 93 and the locking member 55 climb over the upper locking projection 33 in sequence, as a result of which the female housing 13 is removed from the male connector housing 15 as shown in FIG. 12. Incidentally, in order to securely maintain the plug insertion state, inclined surfaces for assisting unlocking, such as the opposing surfaces of the locking part 55 and the upper locking claw 93 (a front side of the locking part 55 and a rear side of the upper locking claw 93), are not provided in opposing surfaces of the locking part 55 and the upper locking protrusion 33.(Prevention of Excessive Displacement of Unlocking Portion 59 and Suppression of Increase in Overall Size of Plug 11)As illustrated in FIGS. 10 and 11, in the CPA temporary lock in which the CPA 21 has been set in the position of the CPA temporary lock, the CPA bridge 81 is positioned between the unlocking portion 59 and the female housing 13 (the inner housing 41) and separated from the unlocking portion 59. The CPA bridge 81 then abuts the unlocking portion 59 within a range in which the displacement of the unlocking portion 59 in the unlocking direction cannot be excessively large (see FIG. 14 ). Accordingly, excessive displacement of the lock release portion 59 (excessive deformation of the lock arm 57) can be prevented by the CPA bridge 81, so that damage to the female housing 13 can be prevented.Incidentally, in the present embodiment, even in the final locking of the CPA, the CPA bridge 81 is positioned between the unlocking portion 59 and the female housing 13 (the inner housing 41) and separated from the unlocking portion 59 in a similar or similar manner to the temporary locking of the CPA to prevent the unlocking portion 59 from being excessively displaced.Moreover, in a plug use state, the CPA 21 is set to the formal CPA lock position to which the CPA 21 has moved forward from the temporary CPA lock position. In the CPA end lock, a rear end (a distal end on the side opposite to the insertion side) of the CPA bridge 81 is positioned more forward (on the insertion side) than a rear end of the female housing 13, and an almost entire portion of the CPA bridge 81 is disposed more forward than a rear end of the unlocking portion 59 (see FIG. 8 ). Accordingly, an increase in the overall size of the plug 11 in the plug with state can be suppressed.(Prevention of Inclination of Female Housing 13 by CPA Bridge 81)In the CPA end lock, as illustrated in FIG. 8, the CPA bridge 81 abuts the top surface of the female housing 13 (the inner housing 41) to limit the inclination of the female housing 13 with respect to the CPA 21. Thus, in the state of plug use (the CPA end lock), the inclination of the socket housing 13 with respect to the CPA 21 can be restricted. Accordingly, a connection state between the female terminals 17 received in the female housing 13 and the male terminals 19 received in the male connector housing 15 can be stabilized.(Prevention of Loosening of Female Housing 13 by Side Locks 65)As shown in Figs. 15 to 18, a pair of left and right side locks 65 are formed in the outer casing 43, and the hood portion 29 of the male connector housing 15 attached to the female housing 13 is inserted between and inside the side locks 65 to limit the inward displacement of the side locks 65. When the CPA 21 makes a sliding movement from the temporary locking state to the final locking state, the guide surfaces 143 of the separation preventing protrusions 141 of the CPA 21 push the side locks 65 inward. As a result, the side locks 65 are held between the guide surfaces 143 and the hood portion 29. Moreover, the relative movement along the insertion direction between the female housing 13 and the CPA 21 is restricted in the temporary locking of the CPA, and the CPA 21 can slide from the temporary locking state to the final locking state due to the male fitting. That is, due to the insertion between the female housing 13 and the male connector housing 15, the CPA 21 is allowed to slide to the position where the guide 143 of the separation preventing protrusions 141 can press the side shutters 65.Thus, in the assembled state of the connector, the female housing 13 can be prevented from being loosened relative to the male connector housing 15 and the CPA 21 by the side locks 65. Moreover, the time at which the guide surfaces 143 press the side locks 65 is after the plug is assembled. Accordingly, the guide surfaces 143 can slightly press the side locks 65 by inertia force during plug mounting, so that the side locks 65 can be held between the guide surfaces 143 and the hood portion 29. Thus, it is possible to prevent an insertion feeling in connector fitting from being impaired.(Movement of the side bracket 25 from the formal locking position to the temporary locking position)As described above, the side bracket 25 cannot be moved from the formal locking position to the temporary locking position even if the side bracket 25 is simply pulled in the removal direction. Therefore, when the side bracket 25 is moved from the formal locking position to the temporary locking position, a distal end of the jig 149 is inserted into the notch 139 of the holding protrusion 117, and the side bracket 25 is raised and moved by the jig 149 relative to the inner housing front portion 44, as illustrated in FIGS. 22 and 23.Here, the partition wall 119 is partially missing on the front side facing the notch 139. Accordingly, the lifting height of the holding protrusion 117 required for shifting the side bracket 25 from the final locking groove 121 to the temporary locking groove 123 is lower at the front side than at a middle portion. When the side bracket 25 is moved from the final locking groove 121 into the temporary locking groove 123, a front end of the holding protrusion 117 moves more easily on a groove bottom side (bottom side) than in an open end (top end) of the temporary locking groove 123. For example, when the holding protrusion 117 climbs over the partition wall 119 at a deepest position, a difference H is generated between the upper end of the temporary lock groove 123 and the front end of the holding protrusion 117 as shown in FIG. 24. Even if the front end of the holding protrusion 117 moves to a position below the upper end of the temporary locking groove 123, the holding protrusion 117 can still move from the formal locking position. Accordingly, when the side bracket 25 is moved from the final locking groove into the temporary locking groove, it is difficult for the front side of the holding protrusion 117 to pass through the temporary locking groove 123, so that the side bracket 25 can be prevented from coming off the inner case front portion 44 due to accidental unlocking.Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail with reference to the drawings, the above embodiments are merely examples of the present invention, and any change or modification may be made thereto within the scope of the ways described in the KLAGENs.For example, an example has been described in which the upper locking claw 93 of the CPA upper arm 91 is locked to the upper locking protrusion 33 by the locking part 55 of the housing arm 51. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the configuration may be made such that the locking part 55 and the upper locking claw 93 are locked at different locking surfaces from each other.The features mentioned above of the embodiment of the plug according to the invention are briefly summarized and listed below [1] and [2].[1] A plug comprising:a housing (13); andan insertion securing member (21) slidably mounted on an outer side of the housing (13) to allow sliding movement,wherein the housing (13) has a locking portion (55) which is elastically deformed in a direction opposite to a locking direction in order to climb over a locked portion (33) of a counterpart housing (15) and is elastically restored in the locking direction in order to be locked to the counterpart housing (15) with the locked portion (33) upon a movement of the housing (13) in an insertion direction,the insertion securing member (21) slides and moves relative to the housing (13) in the insertion direction from a temporary locking position to a formal locking position to be locked to the counterpart housing (15) when the locking portion (55) is locked to the locked portion (33) to achieve a plug-in state,wherein the housing (13) has an unlocking operation portion (59) to be separated outward from an opposite fitting side of the housing (13), the unlocking operation portion (59) being pressed downward in an unlocking operation direction toward the housing (13) to apply an unlocking force to the locking portion (55) in the opposite direction,wherein the unlocking operation portion (59) is pressed downward in the unlocking operation direction when the insertion securing member (21) is positioned at the temporary locking position to release the plug insertion state,wherein the insertion securing member (21) has a pair of side walls opposing each other on the outside of the housing (13), and a coupling portion (81) connecting end portions of the pair of side walls on the opposite fitting side to each other,wherein the coupling portion (81) of the insertion securing member (21) positioned at the temporary locking position is disposed between the unlocking operating portion (59) and the housing (13) and separated from the unlocking operating portion (59).[2] The connector according to item [1], wherein the coupling portion (81) of the insertion securing member (21) positioned in the temporary locking position is in contact with the housing (13) to limit inclination of the housing (13) with respect to the insertion securing member (21).INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITYThe plug according to the present invention can suppress enlargement of the plug while securing rigidity of the insertion securing member (CPA). The present invention having this effect can be applied to, for example, a connector structure having a mating fuse element.DESCRIPTION OF REFERENCE NUMERALS11 Plug 12 Socket plug unit 13 Socket housing (housing) 15 Male plug housing (counterpart housing) 17 Socket terminal 19 Plug terminal 21 CPA (insertion securing member) 25 Side bracket 33 Upper locking protrusion (locked portion) 34 Lower locking protrusion 35 Upper inclined surface 36 Lower inclined surface 37 Upper flat surface 38 Lower flat surface 44 Inner housing front portion 51 Housing arm 53 Elastic arm part 55 Locking part (locking part) 59 Unlocking portion 61 Socket housing bridge 65 Side lock 71 Lock portion 81 CPA bridge (coupling part) 87 Side wall 91 CPA upper arm 93 Upper locking claw 99 CPA lower arm 101 Lower locking claw

Claims

A connector (11) comprising: a housing (13); and an insertion securing member (21) slidably mounted on an outer side of the housing (13) to allow sliding movement, the housing (13) having a locking portion (55) elastically deformed in a direction opposite to a locking direction to slide over a locked portion (33) of a counterpart housing (15) and elastically restored in the locking direction to be locked to the counterpart housing (15) at the locked portion (33) upon movement of the housing (13) in an insertion direction, wherein the insertion securing member (21) slides and moves relative to the housing (13) in the insertion direction from a temporary locking position to a formal locking position to be locked to the counterpart housing (15), when the locking portion (55) is locked with the locked portion (33) to achieve a plug insertion state, the housing (13) having an unlocking operation portion (59) to be separated outward from an opposite insertion side of the housing (13), the unlocking operation portion (59) being pressed downward in an unlocking operation direction toward the housing (13) to apply an unlocking force to the locking portion (55) in the opposite direction, the unlocking operation portion (59) being pressed downward in the unlocking operation direction when the insertion securing member (21) is positioned in the temporary locking position to release the fitting state of the plug (11), the insertion securing member (21) having a pair of side walls (87) opposing each other on the outside of the housing (13), and a coupling portion (81) that connects end portions of the pair of side walls (87) on the opposite fitting side to each other, the coupling portion (81) is disposed between the unlocking operation portion (59) and the housing (13) and separated from the unlocking operation portion (59) when the insertion securing member (21) is positioned in the temporary locking position, wherein the coupling portion (81) is configured to allow contact with the unlocking operation portion (59) when the unlocking operation portion (59) is pressed down and slid in the unlocking operation direction.The connector (11) according to claim 1, wherein the coupling portion (81) of the insertion securing member (21) that is in the temporary locking position comes into contact with the housing (13) to limit inclination of the housing (13) with respect to the insertion securing member (21).

Images